This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Suspension systems are provided to filter or isolate the vehicle's body (sprung portion) from the vehicle's wheels and axles (unsprung portion) when the vehicle travels over vertical road surface irregularities as well as to control body and wheel motion. In addition, suspension systems are also used to maintain an average vehicle attitude to promote improved stability of the vehicle during maneuvering. The typical passive suspension system includes a spring and a damping device in parallel with the spring which are located between the sprung portion and the unsprung portion of the vehicle.
Hydraulic actuators, such as shock absorbers and/or struts, are used in conjunction with conventional passive suspension systems to absorb unwanted vibration which occurs during driving. To absorb this unwanted vibration, hydraulic actuators include a piston located within a pressure cylinder of the hydraulic actuator. The piston is connected to the sprung portion or body of the vehicle through a piston rod. Because the piston is able to restrict the flow of damping fluid within the working chamber of the hydraulic actuator when the piston is displaced within the pressure cylinder, the hydraulic actuator is able to produce a damping force which counteracts the vibration of the suspension. The greater the degree to which the damping fluid within the working chamber is restricted by the piston, the greater the damping forces which are generated by the hydraulic actuator.
In recent years, substantial interest has grown in automotive vehicle suspension systems which can offer improved comfort and road handling over the conventional passive suspension systems. In general, such improvements are achieved by utilization of an “intelligent” suspension system capable of electronically controlling the suspension forces generated by hydraulic actuators.
Different levels in achieving the ideal “intelligent” suspension system called a semi-active or a fully active suspension system are possible. Some systems control and generate damping forces based upon the dynamic forces acting against the movement of the piston. Other systems control and generate damping forces based on the static or slowly changing dynamic forces, acting on the piston independent of the velocity of the piston in the pressure tube. Other, more elaborate systems, can generate variable damping forces during rebound and compression movements of the hydraulic actuator regardless of the position and movement of the piston in the pressure tube.
The movement produced in the hydraulic actuators in both the passive and active suspension systems converts mechanical energy and this mechanical energy is changed into heat of the hydraulic actuator's fluid and the components of the actuator.